SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth used special teams and turnovers to defeat Chapman University 35-28 in a non-conference NCAA Division III football game on Saturday at the Pine Bowl, the Pirates' third win over the Panthers in the last 12 months.
Chapman (1-1) outgained #19/#20 Whitworth 441-285. However, the Pirates, who lead the nation in turnover margin, had a 2-0 turnover advantage and also turned a blocked punt into a score.
Ryan Blair threw five touchdown passes to help Whitworth improve to 3-0 this season.
The Pirates trailed for the first time this season in the first quarter despite getting an early break by recovering a fumble at the Chapman 16-yard line midway through the first quarter. Whitworth had first and goal from the five, but could not punch the ball over the goal line with four runs, getting stopped at the one on fourth down. The Panthers turned the momentum into a 99-yard scoring drive, capped by Kade Zimmerman's 20-yard touchdown reception from Luke Peterman with 50 seconds left in the period.
Whitworth responded with a long drive of its own to tie the contest. Evan Liggett outjumped a defender for a 24-yard touchdown pass from Blair to cap a 73-yard possession.
Andrew Cody turned the tide in the Pirates' favor a couple minutes later by blocking a Chapman punt that Connor Perez recovered and returned to the Panthers' five-yard line. One play later Blair found Cade Conklin for his first career touchdown reception and a 14-7 Whitworth lead.
Chapman bounced back quickly, scoring on Gio Ursino's 20-yard run that capped a quick 75-yard drive and tied the game.
Like they did in the 2023 NCAA playoff meeting between the schools, the Pirates grabbed momentum with a score at the end of the first half. Whitworth drove 70 yards in 13 plays and scored on Liggett's two-yard touchdown reception with only 29 seconds left in the second quarter.
Chapman appeared poised to retake control by forcing the Pirates into a quick punt to start the third, but Jacob Brandvold grabbed the first interception of his career at the Panthers' 36-yard line. Two plays later Blair found Cameron Sheley for a 10-yard touchdown pass to give Whitworth a two-score advantage (28-14).
The Panthers pulled within 28-21 when Peterman hit Quentin Biebel with a 12-yard scoring pass on third and 10 to finish off a 75-yard scoring drive.
Whitworth retook a two-score lead at the end of the third after Blair completed his fifth touchdown pass of the game to Dawson Tobeck with only 46 seconds left in the period. The scoring pass was Tobeck's first career reception. The 25-yard drive was set up by Sheley's 55-yard punt return.
The score remained 35-21 for nearly the rest of the game until Chapman scored the final touchdown with 1:54 to play on Peterman's 24-yard connection to Zimmerman. But the ensuing on-sides kick went out of bounds before it went ten-yards, giving Whitworth possession and ending the Panthers' hopes.
Blair finished 21 of 29 for 207 yards with his career-high of five touchdown passes and no interceptions. Liggett caught six passes for 95 yards. With two touchdowns on Saturday, he now has seven touchdown receptions this season. Sheley caught six for 69 yards. Whitworth's rushing game was held in check for most of the contest as the Pirates ended with 78 yards on 34 attempts. Luis Salgado had 63 of those yards on 24 rushes.
Peterman completed 19 of 31 passes for 244 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He was replaced for much of the fourth quarter by Nathaniel Espinoza who went 1 of 5 for 20 yards. Zimmerman led all receivers with five catches for 104 yards and two scores. Ursino picked up 135 yards on the ground on 19 carries (7.1 yards per carry).
Zach Brooks led Whitworth on defense for the third straight game with nine tackles. JT Muñoz was in on 2.5 of the Pirates' six sacks and forced a fumble, while Ephraim Watkins had two. Brandvold added a career-high seven tackles to his interception.
The game may have hinged on Matthew Herzog's punting. The Pirate freshman averaged 41.9 yards on seven kicks, four of which ended inside the Chapman 20-yard line and helped the Bucs win the field position battle.
Whitworth gets a week off before opening its Northwest Conference schedule at Pacific Lutheran on October 5th.